Scarlet Promises
by Straya
Summary: The prequel to Three Words Unspoken.


_Disclaimer: G Gundam and all related characters are copyright Bandai, Sotsu Agency, TV Asahi and Sunrise._

_* Author's Note (Please read before moving onto the fic!): While it was mostly unintentional, there has gotten to be an order to my fics. It would be most helpful to read them in the following order - "Rain and Roses", "Scarlet Promises" and then "Three Words Unspoken." This piece is a bit more OOC than my other serious fan fics, but it was something I wanted to write. My current project, tentatively entitled "A Knight's Trials" takes place after TWU. Thanks for reading! _

Dedicated to monshogaku, who gave me both the basis for "Rain and Roses" and the courage to write it. 

**"Scarlet Promises"**

Rain Mikamura had never really thought of herself as a lazy individual, but sometimes, being around Domon, she felt the part. It was only the morning after their return to Earth, following the final defeat of the Devil Gundam, and he was already up and performing his usual morning rituals. He'd left a note for her on the bedside table, saying he was out for a quick jog and would be back shortly. 

Men. ...oh well. Old habits died hard. Rain took her time getting out of bed and showering, grateful for being able to stay in the Neo Hong Kong branch of the Japanese Embassy, and dressed casually in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt that Chibodee's girls had loaned her the night before. As she was brushing her hair, room service arrived with a platter of pasteries. As she tipped the young man who'd brought breakfast up, it occurred to the young woman that she hadn't ordered room service, and Domon hasn't said anything about it in his note, either. She shrugged it off, however, thinking he may have meant it for a surprise and looked through the offerings on the platter. Among them were several coffee cakes, a pot of hot coffee and... there was a red rose laying on one side of the dish. But what caught Rain's eye was not so much the flower as what was on it. 

Pulling the tiny scroll off the stem of the rose, Rain undid the bit of twine that had held it shut and in place. The little piece of paper only had one sentence on it, and it was written in near perfect cursive with a blot at the end that may have come from a real quill. 

"Meet me on the east fifth level balcony at the Royal Rose Inn at 9am." 

Obviously, this wasn't from Domon. She could tell by the handwriting, alone. Rain glanced at her watch and saw that it was a quarter to nine, just enough time to make it to the inn, which was a few blocks down the way. However, it might also not be long before her lover returned, either. Biting her lower lip, Rain looked back at the little scroll and decided it might be worth it to go. Just from the handwriting alone, she had a feeling who had sent room service up. What this was about, however, he had absolutely no idea. Pulling a sheet of paper from the complimentary notepad on the bedside table, she left Domon a note of her own, saying she'd gone for a brisk walk and would be back shortly. As a last minute thought, she added that she would like to go see Hoi, Min and their grandfather before the "victory party" that evening. Rain wasn't sure she felt like celebrating, having just lost her father and wanting to spend some time with Domon, but then she supposed it might be their last chance to see Chibodee and the others before they departed for their own countries. 

Leaving her purse behind and just taking her room key, change purse and a small swiss army knife she kept for emergencies, Rain left the hotel room and took the elevator down. The little scroll was tucked away in one jean pocket, and if Domon asked about room service, she could always say it had been compliments of the embassy. 

The Royal Rose Inn was a high class hotel that made up part of the major upper class tourist line in Neo Hong Kong. It was generally where most of the embassies and themed places were established. Just from walking down the street, Rain was able to guess by looking at the various hotels where some of the other fighters must have stayed while in the city. Coming upon her destination, Rain found herself before an elegant building that was five stories high and built with a European influence in mind. 

A bell boy greeted her as she entered the lobby, and she quickly found her way to the elevator and ascended to the fifth story and the conference room that was located therein. The room itself was devoid of people, but the door onto the large balcony was cracked open. Thinking she must be a little early, Rain opened the double doors and stepped outside, glancing around. It was then she noticed that she wasn't alone, after. 

Leaning against the balcony railing, out of sight from view of the conference room, was George de Sand. He was dressed more casually than Rain was used to seeing, wearing a dark blue button down shirt, most likely silk, and a pair of black slacks. Back to the railing, he was gazing out towards the south, watching the sky. 

"I was half worried you wouldn't come." 

"George?" Rain wasn't sure what else to say at that point. While she had suspected it had been the Neo-French fighter who had sent the room service and note, she had no idea as to why. 

He smiled a little, eyes closing for a just a moment before he leaned off the railing and walked over to push the doors shut, completely. "Part of me was worried that you wouldn't want to come, or that I had been wrong and Domon wouldn't go out for his morning excercises, this morning. But, I suppose with all of us returning home tomorrow, I felt like I had to do this, now, and take those chances." 

She was about to ask what he meant when he turned and she saw that he was trying to smile at her, but his eyes betrayed what looked like sadness. In the brief silence that followed, Rain attempted to figure out what was going on, and just as he started back towards her, she remembered London. 

"It's London, isn't it...?" she asked tentatively, watching as he stopped by her side, his violet eyes meeting hers. 

"It wasn't too hard to figure out, was it?" 

"I guess... I guess I had always known, since then. I just didn't really think about it because of the tournament, and Domon-" She stopped there for fear of saying the wrong thing. Perhaps she already had. 

"No, I understand." George passed her by and walked to the railing again, resting his hands on it as he looked out over the city. "We all had agendas and responsibilities. I debated keeping this to myself, but after everything that's happened, it would have been difficult. I'm not a man who enjoys lying, Rain, even to myself. And, if you had suspected, I didn't want you to think that anything was being hidden from you." 

Rain hadn't felt this awkward in a long while. She had no idea what to say, and even what managed to come to mind din't see right, either. 

"I don't regret anything, and I'm so very happy for you, Rain. You deserved to have someone like Domon in your life, to protect you and care for you. As much as I love you, it's better this way, and I don't want you to feel guilty, either..." 

"But how can I go back to my hotel now and feel decently about myself after this?" she almost demanded, starting to wonder if maybe she should never have come. 

"You can, because the love that you and Domon have for one another saved us all, Rain. He knows you far better than I, and the compassion that he feels for you far outweighs my own." Looking back at her, George offered her an honest smile. "I will miss you, Rain, but as long as you are happy and safe, I will be more than satisfied." 

He loves me enough to just... let me go. Oh, George... I hope you realize soon that there is someone for you.... 

Rain finally smiled, herself, and walked over to the railing. "The world could do with more people like you, George. I'm glad to have met you." 

"Please keep in touch, Rain, and invite me to your eventual wedding. You and I both know there will be one." 

George smiled as she blushed, and then took her hand in his, bowing a little. He then turned to leave the balcony, but Rain stopped him, one hand coming over his shoulder. 

"George, wait... I..." She struggled to organize her thoughts for a moment as he met her gaze again with a look of curiousity. "Out of all the others, you're... I've felt as though you've been the one I could look to when I needed someone who understood what I was going through, all this time. Now, I know that even if I couldn't say it, you always knew. You knew in London. But back home, before Domon returned from his training, Kyoji was always there for me... He was the older brother I never had. Even the smallest things I had to talk about were important to him. But now...." 

"Now...?" 

Rain found her little Swiss army knife and extended the tiny, almost harmless blade, and nicked the tip of her index finger with it. "Kyoji was training to be a doctor and a scientist, but I suppose boys are still boys. It's...it's such a guy thing to do, really. And it was only a tiny scratch, he'd said, and that was fine. It was his vow to me that he would be there if I needed him, and he always was, even...until the end. He called it our 'scarlet promise'." 

After a moment, George took the tiny knife from her and nicked his own finger with it. As a single drop of blood oozed from either opening, the pair touched their fingers together, tip to tip, and let the blood mingle. Once the ritual was over, George pulled a hankerchief from his pocket and offered it to Rain. She wiped the crimson fluid from her finger and then returned the cloth, allowing him to clean his own wound. 

"It seems like such a silly thing to do, but thank you for humoring me..." Rain smiled gently, glad she had come, after all. 

"No, it isn't silly, and I'm honored that you allowed me to take part in something from your past that was so important to you. I know that I could never take Kyoji's place, but I will always be there for you, if you ever need me." He bowed a little, eyes closing briefly. "Merci, Rain." 

Leaning forward as he bowed, Rain kissed him on the cheek. Surprised by this, George opened his eyes and straightened up, but then smiled at the gesture. He returned the favor, kissing her gently on the right cheek. 

"Best be going. Domon probably misses you if he's already returned." 

She nodded and turned to go, but glanced back once more before leaving the balcony. "I'll see you later tonight... And George?" 

"Yes?" 

"What I said back in London is still true; you're going to make some young woman very happy one day." 

"And what I said then is still true now... If the one I am destined for is as kind and dedicated as you are, Rain, then I, also, will be very happy in return." 

"She will be." Rain then turned away and disappeared back inside, and out of sight. 

George sighed and leaned back against the railing, again. He imagined that once Rain got back to the hotel room, Domon would be there, waiting. She probably left some little note for him, giving an excuse to her whereabouts, and he would most likely believe her. He would notice the little cut on her finger, and she would tell him she was clumsy and tripped outside. Domon would then give her a hard time about it, Rain would kiss him on the cheek, and then they would spend the rest of the day together. For a few minutes, George felt depressed. He just hoped that Domon would never forget just how fortunate he was to have Rain. 

But the tiny stinging in his right index finger reminded George that in a way, he would always have Rain. And in a way, she did love him. She enjoyed his company and thought fondly of him. 

George would miss her, but if she ever needed him for any reason, the Neo-French knight would be there. It was, after all, a scarlet promise. 

* * *

_*Closing Notes: Again, I do realize I probably had George and Rain a bit OOC, here, but I enjoy the idea of them maintaining a close and personal friendship after end of the 13th Tournament. We all need someone in life that we can go to with our problems, but sometimes there are things that we fear to even tell our significant others. There's always a need for a third party; brotherly, sisterly, motherly or fatherly advice from a source that you know will be sensitive and understanding, no matter what. With her father and Kyoji gone, I thought that George would be a good and almost obvious choice, and likewise, as inept as George can be in regards to Maria Louise, he would probably need some advice on the occassion...and NOT from one Chibodee Crocket. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and see you next time around._ ^_^ 


End file.
